aCenter for Cellular and Molecular Engineering, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219;bMedical Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213;cDepartment of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

aCenter for Cellular and Molecular Engineering, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219;cDepartment of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

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Significance

The evolutionary changes behind the loss in regenerative potential from salamanders to mammals remain largely elusive. Lizards, representing an intermediary species between the two, possess a limited ability to regenerate their tails. Here, we probe the mechanisms behind the differing regenerative patterns between lizards and salamanders, and we find that neural stem cells within the regenerated spinal cords are distinct cell populations that regulate divergent tail regeneration patterns. This finding sheds light on the factors that govern regenerative ability as well as the loss of this capability and brings us one step closer to eventually elucidating strategies to allow for mammalian regeneration.

Blood-sucking sand flies from disparate global regions have a predilection for feeding on the marijuana plant (Cannabis sativa), and the findings hint at a potential avenue for controlling sand flies, which can transmit leishmaniasis.